Guy Williams emperor of Normandy
The British rider adds another victory to his Saint-Lô 2012 campaign.
After the opening event on Thursday night (where he took 1st and 3rd place), he won the Carrefour Trophy (1,45m), counting for the FEI world rankings and qualifying for the Grand Prix on Sunday. In the CSI1 * Loup Briffaut (FRA) marked the spirits by winning twice.
CSI3*
The Emperor Guy Williams on the way to the coronation?
He impressed on Thursday night taking 1st and 2nd place in the Ibis-Mercure-Etap Hotels prize (1,35m). The Brit literally flew over the first qualifier for the Grand Prix on Sunday. They were 26 to sign an initial course without penalty and thus qualify for the jump off. A normal figure given the quality of the field of riders and number of horses (67, a record!). To be among the best, it was therefore go very, very quickly, on a jump off with 7 obstacles including a double. Few opportunities option but large areas that could benefit horses amplitude. First to make a second tour without fault, Mathieu Billot (FRA) moved ahead with its white Pardoes (winning two stages of this season's French Grand National Circuit FFE including Deauville). But Belgian Koen Vereecke quickly took away any hope removing more than one second on the clock of Norman guy. If Eiken Sato (JPN) just missed his hold up, Guy Williams (GBR) set the wheels in motion to bring Titus II to a final victory. The young Brazilian Marlon Modolo Zanote manages to insert in 2nd place, but tonight, Guy and Titus II (picture © Pixizone) were imperial. The couple, team bronze medal at the 2011 European Championships in Madrid, looks like a serious candidate to victory Sunday.
Class n°2 – Agrial Prize (1,35m)
Billot ball head
Known or feared for his speed, the Norman Mathieu Billot (FRA) did not take long way. In this class judged under table A in 2 phases against the clock, it was necessary to hope to win, sign immediately a great time. Mathieu knows, and riding Nandy d'Abbetot, he simply reduced the hopes of all his opponents to nothing … at the seventh passage! With 26''24, the couple kept the lead until the last of the 98 participants. A great performance that only the Swedish Helena Lundback approached (27'' 08). The Chilean Samuel Parot de Ugart, who participated to the London Olympics, finished third. Among the best riders, we can note the clear rounds of Laura Kraut (USA), Michel Hécart (FRA) and Patrice Delaveau (FRA).
CSI1*
Class n°3 – Eurogen Prize (1,25m)
Tied victory for two young French hopes
They got the chance to finish on the same time (23''67) and they ran one after the other. They are Adélaïde Lautie (Norway de la Lande) and Loup Briffaut (Malice du Valon). Jeremy Schillewaert, the son of the international French rider Franck Schillewaert, finished third very close to Nagano Celco, missing the victory for only 6 hundreth second. Belgium signs the two best performances among the foreign countries: 5th place for Joke Mardaga with Fariska and 6th for Geoffrey Coubbaut with Audi's Cinderella Z. This last couple took the second place yesterday of the first class of the CSI 1* of Saint-Lô 2012.
Class n°4 – TP Allez Prize (1,35m)
Loup Briffaut ready to pounce
The young rider from Paris is not kidding: only 21 years, he moves victories Friday. First tie in the Eurogen prize, he makes this time a solo success with his top horse Ravel de Pantomime*HDA. He manages to overtake Arnaud Lepetit (FRA), son of course designer Jean-Paul Lepetit, yet deemed intractable on clock, a second and a half. The first foreign rider is a Belgian Freddy Demuynck who finished 4th.